The pallies had taken on a deep green hue over the past week, indicating they were ripening. Lorna hummed a familiar tune as she reached up to a fruit, feeling the slight softness that, according to Obi-Wan, signaled it was ready to pick. She carefully plucked it and placed it into the basket balanced on her hip.
Their days had settled into a routine—meditation at sunrise, homestead work until the heat grew unbearable, then quiet meals before collapsing into their respective sleeping locations. Obi-Wan had fashioned a makeshift cot for himself next to the bed, which he still insisted on yielding to her.
It was a peaceful lifestyle, for which Lorna was grateful. Time under the Tatooine suns had returned color to her olive skin, fading the dark circles under her eyes. Yet despite this welcome contrast to her life on Coruscant, she found herself growing restless.
Despite his promises, Obi-Wan had made no move to begin her training in earnest, offering only occasional lectures on maintaining focus during meditation.
There had also been no mention of her ship or how she was going to repair it.
All morning she had been gathering her courage to speak up, though she persistently sensed that her presence was an annoyance to him—the way he had acted put out by her request to bathe only solidified this feeling. She still relied on his hospitality and did not want to wear out her welcome.
She continued humming as she watched Obi-Wan wandering along the rows of pallie vines, tenderly palming the fruit to test for ripeness and filling his own basket. He appeared deep in thought, his lips pulled into a slight frown, a crease forming at the center of his prominent brow.
"Ben?" she started, the new name still clumsy in her mouth. His eyes met hers as she pulled him out of his thoughts. He said nothing but glanced at her with raised brows to signal that she had his attention as he pulled another pallie off the vine.
"We've spent a lot of time the past several days working on these tasks. Perhaps we could add some training exercises to our daily routine?" She tried to maintain a nonchalant tone.
"How do you know these tasks have not been your training exercises?"
She wasn't sure if he was being serious. His eyebrows quirked sardonically as he peered at her through the vines, but his tone was unreadable. She narrowed her eyes at him.
"You consider picking pallies and shoveling eopie droppings training?" she asked.
"Engaging in practical tasks in close proximity with the natural world are excellent opportunities for attuning your focus with the Force," he replied. "Not to mention it fosters patience and discipline."
"Of course," she replied, then bit her bottom lip to contain her agitation. "It's just that… I cannot defend myself from an Inquisitor with pallies."
"Perhaps not, but you can avoid ever seeing one in the first place with them."
Lorna swallowed hard, a lump forming in her throat as she struggled to contain her disappointment. The legendary Clone Wars hero she had idolized seemed to fade with each passing day, replaced by this cautious, hesitant man before her. She wondered if asking him to train her had been a mistake.
She considered the weight of his grief and thought with empathy of the burden it must place on him. The fall of the Jedi Order had left her raw and aching, too. Yet where she felt a need to act, Obi-Wan seemed content in withdrawn solitude. She needed to help Niko and Sinya, find the Path, do something . Not hide behind farm work.
"Well, I'm not staying here to pick pallies forever," she said, teeth clenched. "That's why I asked you to train me. I need to be prepared to be on my own ." The bitterness in her voice surprised even her.
"Then you can start by learning some patience," he replied, his voice raising slightly. The set of his jaw and the shuttered look in his eyes told her she wasn't getting anywhere with this line of reasoning. She needed a different approach.
"We should probably go check on the Comet ," she said after a moment. "Make sure it hasn't been swallowed by the sand, ensuring I never leave here." Perhaps that will motivate you to focus on something other than farming , she thought, glancing at him sideways
"We wouldn't want that," he replied wryly. "Very well. I need to make a trip to Mos Eisley tomorrow to trade the pallies for supplies. On the way there, we can stop at your ship to make sure it has not, in fact, been swallowed by the sand."
She sighed in relief, ignoring the faint sting of his ire as she selected another ripe pallie.
Conversation was minimal as they traversed the flat terrain on the eopie, loaded with sacks of pallies for the Mos Eisley market. With little to distract her, Lorna ruminated on her financial predicament with the Comet .
Obi-Wan had told her to trust that the Force would provide, but the Force could not materialize credits from nothing. The thought of returning to pouring drinks made her stomach churn. She had no doubt her combat experience would make her a fine bounty hunter or mercenary, but that would mean turning to a life of crime and brutality. The Jedi had rescued her from that world once before—she wouldn't return to it. Wouldn't abandon Jedi principles of peace.
Even using her musical talents seemed problematic—she envisioned herself singing in cantinas while patrons' lewd thoughts pressed against her consciousness. Music, the one thing that was closer to her heart than being a Jedi, would be turned into a means of drawing more unwanted attention. The image made her skin crawl.
"Everything alright?" Obi-Wan asked.
He must have felt her involuntary shudder, sensed her anxiety. The closeness on the eopie brought his arms around her waist as he held the reins, a firm, anchoring presence she found herself welcoming. Blood rushed to her cheeks as she noted that his proximity evoked none of the revulsion her cantina vision had.
As if sensing her thoughts, he pulled back slightly, widening his grip on the reins. Her blush deepened. She quickly reinforced her mental shields, trying not to think about how much he might have perceived.
"Just having negative thoughts. I know I should avoid dwelling on them," she answered.
His arms relaxed again. "Do you wish to speak of them? If you need to unburden yourself, I am here." His tone was soft, understanding, unlike their conversation the day before.
"I have… unpleasant memories from the time I spent in the Coruscant Underworld," she answered slowly.
"Why do I get the feeling 'unpleasant' is an understatement?"
His quip brought an unexpected smile to her lips. "You have no idea."
"I was assigned a mission in the Underworld once, as a Padawan. It's a dreadful place. It's a testament to your resilience and resourcefulness that you survived there for a year and managed to escape it."
The unexpected praise caused her emotions to swell, and tears pricked her eyes. She blinked them back rapidly before they could spill out.
"I hated every moment of it," she continued, her voice tight. "The violence and crime were bad enough, but the patrons at Evo's... they behaved like Corellian hounds on the hunt for prey. I know those who aren't Jedi often give in to their…physical desires, but those people were practically consumed by them. The kind of things that go through their minds…" her face twisted in disgust.
"The Underworld has always been a haven for those who lack basic decency," His voice lowered, his disdain evident. "It's a sad truth, that some men seem to lose all sense of self-control around beautiful women. Especially where drink and unsavory company are involved."
The subtle compliment stirred something in her she couldn't quite place. She pushed the feeling away, shifting uncomfortably in the saddle.
"Ah, there's your ship,' Obi-Wan said, lifting a finger to point out the freighter as it came into view. Lorna was grateful for the timing of their arrival.
The Comet sat just as it had the last time she'd seen it, though the exterior had a fine coating of dust on it and sand had collected where wind had blown it into the crevices. She dismounted the eopie and inspected the hull, hoping that there had been no further damage after the Jawas' ransacking. She walked around the port engine side, staring ruefully at the cavity where the thrusters should have been.
"I should take inventory of everything that's missing so I know what needs to be replaced," she told Obi-Wan as he began his own inspection of the starboard side.
"Good idea. There's a datapad in that leather pack in front of the pallies on the eopie, if you want to use it," he replied.
She retrieved the device and began cataloging the missing parts.
"Add the starboard energy capacitors and outer radiators to the list. The Jawas somehow missed the starboard landing gear hydraulic rams," Obi-Wan called out to her as he inspected, facilitating the process.
Once they finished the exterior they moved inside.
"Was there anything in the cargo holds when you arrived?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Only a few basic supplies—no goods for transport. Niko said his last job would be picking up a shipment here on Tatooine and then delivering it before we could head to Jabiim," she answered, moving into the port cargo hold.
"Did he say anything about what he was picking up? Or from whom?"
"No, we never got into specifics. He and Sinya had the job planned out before they decided to bring me with them. There was no need for me to know, really. I was just tagging along until we headed for Jabiim. But they did mention they primarily smuggled spice for the Pykes, so I'm assuming that was the cargo."
He bent down to inspect the cargo lift. "How long had you known these smugglers? Add port cargo lift mechanisms to your list."
"They became regulars at Evo's during the last several weeks I was there. They weren't like other patrons. Niko may be a shameless flirt and Sinya can be broody, but their compassion seemed genuine. They made for an unlikely but effective team," she answered with a fond smile.
"Were the two of them a couple?"
Lorna's eyebrow quirked upwards. She found the question odd, though she kept that thought to herself.
"No. Sinya may have been one of the few females who was immune to Niko's charms. Why do you ask?"
"Just curious," he said, shaking his head. "And you're sure you trust them?"
"I sensed no deception in what they told me," she said, walking around the perimeter of the hold and noting the missing instrument panels. "Niko's parents were displaced and then imprisoned by the Empire. And Sinya's son was identified as Force-sensitive and brought to the Jedi. Neither have any reason to love the Empire, and they took a risk in telling me their stories."
"Her son was a Jedi?" he asked eyebrows raising in surprise. "Did she say how old?"
"He would have been seven when…last year."
Something dark flashed in Obi-Wan's eyes, but it passed quickly as he inhaled deeply and covered his mouth with his hand, stroking his long beard in deep thought.
"Before I escaped the Temple, I saw my friend Trilla and her Master." She paused, taking a steadying breath. She had never spoken with anyone about the details from that night. "They had a group of younglings with them, and were planning on trying to get them out. I don't know for sure but… some of the children might have made it."
"Let us hope so," he said, his gaze distant.
"Besides their personal stories, there is also the fact that they saw me with my lightsaber on Coruscant when the Inquisitor attacked. They knew what I was, but they stayed and fought when they could have left me there. I see no reason not to trust them."
Her gut twisted remembering how her friends came to her aid and had gotten themselves captured because of it. While she had escaped. Shame and self-doubt once again tore through her.
"What's wrong?" Obi-Wan asked.
She looked over to where he stood in the doorway to the cargo hold, his blue-grey eyes regarding her with concern.
"I'm fine," she lied. "Let's keep going."
The starboard hold was missing many of the same components as its counterpart. As she and Obi-Wan inspected each area closely, something drew her eye to a floor tile next to the cargo lift. It was identical to all the other floor tiles except for some scuffing in the metal along one edge. As if that edge had been used repeatedly to lift the tile.
She pointed it out to Obi-Wan. "Help me find something to lift this," she told him. A metal rod leaned against the wall nearby, thin enough to slide into the gap between the two tiles. Using the rod for leverage, he lifted the tile. It hinged open to reveal a secret compartment in the cargo hold floor.
Lorna's eyes widened as she took in the sophisticated technology concealed within. A refrigeration system lined the walls, along with miniature repulsor lifts. The underside of the tile concealed a control panel.
"I see the Jawas didn't find everything," Obi-Wan remarked, peering into the compartment.
"Do you know what this is for?" she asked him.
"No, this tech is unfamiliar to me. Specialized cargo that needs to be kept cold and stable? Could be bioweapons, or illegal cloning tech," he answered.
"Niko and Sinya never mentioned anything like this," she said, carefully lowering the tile back into place. "We should keep it hidden for now."
Together they descended the ramp as Lorna finalized her inventory, fingers tapping at the datapad.
"This is a lot of missing parts. I should get an estimate from a local parts dealer to be sure, but the Jawas might not have been that far off with their offer," Lorna said dejectedly, raking a hand through her hair. Her other hand slumped down to her side.
She rubbed her neck with her free hand as her mind started spinning, trying to come up with potential opportunities to earn credits.
"Lorna." Obi-Wan's voice was tinged with warning.
Her head snapped to where he was standing just under the starboard engine. He was staring at something on the hull. She came to see what he was looking at.
Attached to the hull plating was a small tracking device. A red light blinked intermittently on it, indicating that it was functioning.
"I performed a detailed check of the ship's exterior when I landed. I made sure I wasn't tracked," she asserted.
"Are you certain?" Obi-Wan asked, the pitch of his voice rising in alarm.
"Yes! Ben, I am certain. This tracker was placed at some point after I arrived."
"We need to be cautious in Mos Eisley," he said. "Be on your guard."
He reached up and pried the tracker off the Comet . Using a combination of the Force and his own strength, he crushed it in his fist.